Sage Allen with Mom and Marco

Sage has an Autism Assistance Dog from 4 Paws for Ability!

His name is Marco, and he's all we had hoped he would be, and more.

Sage has severe Autism. With her sweet smile and affectionate demeanor, most people don’t recognize right away that Sage has many special challenges. She can’t speak, and is unable to follow most directions. Not being able to communicate her wants and needs can make her so frustrated that she screams, throws herself down on the ground, and bangs or hits her head. It’s a scary thing to see. She has such an overwhelming urge for sensory experiences that she is compelled to find and eat anything gooey, edible or not. She will walk away from her caregivers and never look back, not responding to her name. Everyone who knows her can see she’s a very bright little girl, but it takes a lot of work to connect with her.

I’m Chris, Sage’s mom. Last year, I heard about something called an Autism Assistance Dog. I had no idea that a service dog could do anything to help a child with autism. I found a link to a web page about an organization that provides the dogs and learned more. 4 Paws For Ability is a nonprofit group that provides service dogs to people with disabilities. They are the first organization to offer this special kind of service dog.

An Autism Assistance Dog can do amazing things for a child with Autism. One of the most important things one of these dogs can do is to track a child who is missing. I hope I never have to test that skill, but if I do, it would be worth any price. A dog can improve the quality of daily life as well. Autism Assistance Dogs provide a completely accepting friend for a child who is not able to reach out to others. The dog gives a way for the child to make connections with other people as well. Their web site, http://www.4pawsforability.org explains “…we take the child with Autism and all the difficulties they have with verbalization, communication, and social relationships and pair them with a well trained quality service dog specifically trained to meet their unique needs; to create a consistency in the child’s life as their dogs go everywhere that they go, even within places of public accommodation and the educational system, bringing along with them: consistency, stability, and calm reassurance that the feelings of anxiety or fear are not needed because the trusted buddy is by their side.” What an incredible gift!

4 Paws uses a unique approach to pairing a child with their service dog. Each person who needs a dog is required to do fundraising for 4 Paws for the amount equivalent to the cost for training their dog. An Autism Assistance Dog with Search and Rescue abilities costs twelve thousand dollars. Amazingly, every family who has begun the process has met the requirement. They do it through letters like this one, and fundraisers of all sorts. Money is donated directly to 4 Paws in the child’s name, and is tax deductible.

Sage got her service dog, Marco, in November. Occasionally, 4 Paws offers a spot in a training class for a family who has been steadily working on their fundraising, even if they are not finished yet. Sage's dog has already made a huge difference in the quality of our lives. $12,000 is a lot of money, but we're already a little over halfway there. We can raise another $6000 with your help. If you are able to donate any amount at all, it will get us closer to completing our fundraising, allowing another family the same chance we have been given. If you want to donate to 4 Paws, send a check to 4Paws at 253 Dayton Ave., Xenia, OH 45385 and in the memo line write, "In Honor of Sage Allen." Sage may not be able to say the words to thank you, but she has a big hug for anyone who wants one. Thank you so much for considering helping to make life better for my little girl and other children with Autism.

Chris Allen

PS: Another way to donate is through PayPal. Just go to paypal.com and send cash to Karen4paws@aol.com. In the message section, be sure to write that the donation is for Sage Allen.

For updates and more information, go to http://sagedakotahnews.blogspot.com/